The identification of analytes of interest in a sample has a wide variety of applications in many fields. For example, in medical diagnostics it is desirable to be able to screen bodily fluids, such as blood, for the presence of particular analytes that may be indicative of a disease or disorder. In other areas, such as bioterror and environmental remediation, it is important to be able to identify the presence of toxic compounds or infectious agents in the environment.
Sensors for identifying analytes of interest may be based on transistors used in integrated circuits. One such sensor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,348, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.